CLANG! CLANG! Mira swung her hammer down, molding the steel with sweat dripping from her forehead. Each hit boomed across the forge alongside a streak of red hot sparks.

“Arad, did you call me?” Jack rushed in, running after a massive black rat.

Arad smiled, waving his hand, “It didn’t take you long,” He crouched down, extending his hand to the rat.

Squeeze. The rat squealed, running up Arad’s arm and resting on his shoulder.

“Thanks to that little guy,” Jack walked forward, resting on the nearest chair. “So, what did you need?”

Arad extended his hand to his stomach. He pulled out a tiny slice of cheese that he took from the castle’s food storage and handed it to the rat.

The rat stared at the cheese, confused for a second before grabbing it and starting to eat. For a second, Arad realized this rat didn’t know cheese could be eaten, and needed time to think about it.

^It’s stinky, but food is food.^ The rat’s thoughts flew into Arad’s mind.

Arad blinked twice, “What do you like to eat?” He scratched the rat’s head.

^Grain, meat, and anything like seeds.^ The rat replied directly into Arad’s mind, staring back at him.

“False knowledge? I will give you something else.” Arad smiled, taking the cheese back from the rate.

For a moment, the blacksmith and Jack gasped as they saw Arad lift the cheese. “Don’t!”

Arad gulped the piece of cheese as if it were nothing and quickly pulled a fist full of wheat grains from his stomach. The rate raced across Arad’s arm to eat, and Arad poured it on a table and let the little one eat in peace.

The blacksmith rushed to Arad, “You shouldn’t eat that cheese! Especially if a rat ate from it!”

Arad stared at the blacksmith. He can’t reveal he’s a dragon that can eat almost anything. When you eat a human full, you eat them, their organs, and every disgusting thing stuck inside them. A little cheese eaten by a rat can’t pose a greater risk than a rotten zombie or a wild poisonous snake.

Jack sighed and approached Arad, “Leave the rat alone for now. What did you need me for?”

Arad stared at Jack, “For what else?”

Jack blinked, “Black powder? It’s the only thing I have, and don’t keep some in your stomach.”

Arad smiled, “You know me well,” He looked back at Mira, “She’s making an explosive hammer. We need some.”

“You know it’s not safe. I mean for her.” Jack scratched his head as he pulled out a small bag of black powder. “But be careful, it’s as expensive as it’s dangerous.”

Arad nodded, “Don’t worry, we won’t waste it. I know your whole fighting style relies on it as a basic for your most powerful traps.”

“Even small smoke bombs use some of it,” Jack sat back on his chair as Arad stared at the back powder.

Mira swung her hammer down, hitting the red slab of steel sitting on the anvil. A tiny red spark flew as time seemed to slow down for Jack. His eyes followed the spart with fear as it approached Arad.

Jack’s body started moving, rushing to snatch the bag from Arad’s hand before the spark hit it.

The tiny red spark dodged Arad’s head and flew toward the open bag of black powder, sending shivers down Jack’s spine.

FISHH! Arad caught the spark with two fingers and laughed, “That was close,” He then flicked it away.

Jack snatched the bag from Arad’s hand, “I’m keeping this with me until you need it,” He growled, “You might survive the explosion, but not us.” He closed the back and threw it into his pocket.

Mira stared at them, “What are you two doing?”

Arad looked back, “Jack brought the black powder.”

“You should probably keep that thing outside the workshop. This place is full of fire and ash,” Mira walked toward Arad, holding the hot slab of metal with an iron tongue.

Arad took the slab and heated it again, “Can I try hitting it?”

Mira smiled and handed Arad her hammer, “Don’t hit it too hard,”

Arad laid the slab of steel on the anvil, holding it between his fingers as he lifted the hammer up. He took a deep breath and decided to use a quarter of his full strength.

As Arad swung the hammer down, he hit the slab of metal.

Sparks flew from the metal as it squashed, the hammer in Arad’s hand bending and stressing its handle. CLANG! With a booming sound, it snapped, sending the hammerhead flying into the ceiling and leaving a hole.

The hot slab of steel flew away and almost hit Jack, breaking the stone wall with a large spark.

The anvil bounced from the ground and landed back down with a puff of dust, sending a shock across the whole forge.

Arad slowly looked at the handle in his hand and then turned toward Mira. “Sorry about the hammer.” 𝐞𝗻𝐨𝘃𝗹.𝐜𝐨𝗺

As everyone stared at him, the hammer flew back down, breaking the ceiling and landing on the table beside the rat.

The rate froze in its place, sweating buckets as the wheat fell from its mouth. Squeak! He looked at Arad, terrified. That almost ended his life.

Silence fell.

“Don’t touch anything!” Jack cried, looking at the red-hot steel stuck on the wall beside him. Arad is too strong to work steel, he doesn’t have the gentle touch.

Arad giggled, “I probably need more practice.”

“Don’t practice with other people around.” The blacksmith stared at Arad with a deep sigh, “You half-dragons are always crazy.”

The blacksmith walked toward the wall and plucked the red-hot steel with an iron tongue. “Leave the girl work, you sit there and watch.” He pointed at a chair.

Arad walked toward the table with a sad face and pulled a chair to hit. He then watched Mira work as the rat rested on his lap, eating the wheat.

After a while, the rat finished eating and decided to leave, running out of the shop at top speed.

As the rat rushed across the castle garden, three soldiers saw him and pulled their swords. “A rat, kill it before it could bite anyone.” They ran after the rat.

Arad looked out at the rat running away from the guards. His eyes glow purple, and so did the rat’s eyes.

the rat stopped running and turned around, dodging a sword swing and running between the soldier’s legs. The sword swing hit one of the soldiers dropping him to the ground.

The rat took the chance to run away into the bushes where Arad released him from his control. He stared toward Arad from the bushes, ^Thanks, friend.^